Annabel Lee
by shialuvr222
Summary: "I was a child and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee." Second of five Poe-inspired stories.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the second story I've written that's inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. I'm studying him in English right now, and I've decided to write five stories inspired by a poem or story of his, preferably a poem. The first was called Usher and was inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher, one of his short stories. This will be a multichapter story and will not take place in 1993; this is just the prologue, and is intended to show... well, you'll understand later. ;) I'm not promising or estimating when this will be updated, because right now I have seven WIPS, not counting this one, which may not seem like much, but also consider that my sister just moved to another continent, and I'm juggling writer's block, high school and random bouts of semi-depression. So. This is what you get. Take it or leave it. And please review on your way out. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything concerning or involving NCIS or the poems/written works of Edgar Allen Poe. I created this story, not the people in it and not the inspiration.

May 14th, 1993  
>Alameda, California<br>McGee residence

"But I'm not tired!"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. Mom told me to make sure you were in bed by ten."

The small seven-year-old crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at her older brother.

"I really am sorry, but do you know what Dad would do to me if he found out I disobeyed?"

"He doesn't have to know."

"He'd know. He always knows."

"That's because you can't lie worth a crap."

He sighed. "Sarah…"

"Fine." Her face changed. "But will you read me a story?"

"I thought you said you were too old for stories."

"The ones Mom reads me, yes."

"Okay, I guess so. What do you want?"

"How about more from that creepy guy you read me last week?"

"What creepy- You mean Poe?"

"Yeah, him!"

"You _liked_ that?"

"Yeah! It was cool."

"I don't know…"

"Come on. Please, Tim?"

"Alright, fine."

He left the room and came back a moment later with a large book reading _English Literature_ on the side. Sitting down by her bed, he shuffled through the index and turned to the according page.

"Alright… _The City In The Sea, Eldorado _or_ Annabel Lee_?"

"There's a girl in my class named Annabel."

"_Annabel Lee_ it is."

Sarah sat up eagerly in bed, propping her pillow against the headboard. She loved it when Tim read her stories.

Clearing his throat, he began to read, for once his stutter gone.

"_It was many and many a year ago,  
>In a kingdom by the sea,<br>That a maiden there lived whom you may know  
>By the name of ANNABEL LEE;<br>And this maiden she lived with no other thought  
>Than to love and be loved by me.<em>

_"I was a child and she was a child,_  
><em>In this kingdom by the sea;<em>  
><em>But we loved with a love that was more than love-<em>  
><em>I and my Annabel Lee;<em>  
><em>With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven<em>  
><em>Coveted her and me.<em>

_"And this was the reason that, long ago,_  
><em>In this kingdom by the sea,<em>  
><em>A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling<em>  
><em>My beautiful Annabel Lee;<em>  
><em>So that her highborn kinsman came<em>  
><em>And bore her away from me,<em>  
><em>To shut her up in a sepulchre<em>  
><em>In this kingdom by the sea.<em>

_"The angels, not half so happy in heaven,_  
><em>Went envying her and me-<em>  
><em>Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,<em>  
><em>In this kingdom by the sea)<em>  
><em>That the wind came out of the cloud by night,<em>  
><em>Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.<em>

_"But our love it was stronger by far than the love_  
><em>Of those who were older than we-<em>  
><em>Of many far wiser than we-<em>  
><em>And neither the angels in heaven above,<em>  
><em>Nor the demons down under the sea,<em>  
><em>Can ever dissever my soul from the soul<em>  
><em>Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.<em>

_"For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams_  
><em>Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;<em>  
><em>And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes<em>  
><em>Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;<em>  
><em>And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side<em>  
><em>Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,<em>  
><em>In the sepulchre there by the sea,<em>  
><em>In her tomb by the sounding sea."<em>

Looking up from the book, Tim noticed Sarah was asleep. Her head had fallen down onto her chest, and she was balancing perilously on the side of her bed. He set the book down and gently lifted her further onto the mattress, pulling the comforter over her small body. After shifting her head onto her pillow, he left the book on her bedside table for her to read later and quietly made for the door.

"Tim?"

He turned back, and her eyes were open, if not drooping. He reached her bed in a few steps and knelt.

"What is it?"

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Can somebody really love someone else that much? You know, enough that angels are jealous?"

He hesitated. A skinny, fifteen-year-old nerd like him didn't have much experience in that department, but he answered as best as he could.

"…I don't know. It's nice to believe it, though, isn't it?"

The blank look he got told him that she was expecting more.

"…I think everyone has someone that's right for them. The hard part is finding them."

She seemed satisfied with that answer. She closed her eyes again. He smiled, brushing the hair from her face.

"Love you, Tim," she mumbled. "Thanks for the story."

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I love you too, Sarah."

He silently left the room, turning the light off and closing the door behind him. Hours later, he laid in bed, wondering how such a little girl could be so perceptive as to know exactly what he had been wondering himself.

And how she had gotten him to answer his own question.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So, here we are! Sorry it took so long, I hit a rough patch in here, but today I decided to scrap it and wrote this instead. I'm much happier with this than I was with the original :) I know, this is short, but it just felt right to leave it there. The chapters should get progressively longer.

XXX

_Under cover of darkness, a man crept towards a large, dark house, holding a can of gasoline in his hand. He set to work quickly, spreading it over the front lawn in an undistinguishable pattern, knowing that the inhabitant of the house had a habit of showing up at inopportune times. He wanted to be finished just before he got home._

_Just as he added the last touch, the squealing of tires could be heard around the corner, a sure sign of the man's return. The vandal rapidly procured a butane lighter and set fire to his masterpiece, and then dashed across the street to watch from the shadows._

_As the man saw the flames in his front yard, he tore into his driveway and parked crookedly, jumping out of the car before it was fully stopped. He took a moment to read the message burning in the dry grass._

I see you.

LP

_His head shot up as he finished, and he glanced around warily, not noticing the dark eyes across the street, observing him. He then reached in his pocket and withdrew a cell phone, punching in numbers aggressively and barking orders to some unfortunate person on the other end of the line._

_Just before turning to enter his house, the man turned around and looked directly at the vandal, who worried that he had been spotted; but when the man's eyes moved on, scouring the rest of the street, he knew he was safe._

_He wasn't going to be caught tonight._

_He silently crept across the backyard of the nearest house and away to an unknown destination._

September 12th, 2011  
>Washington, D.C.<br>Navy Yard

Abby paced. Not a slow, thoughtful pace, but a rapid, panicking one, as she verged on a nervous breakdown. The others wisely remained silent. Finally she turned to Gibbs.

"I'm not happy about this. I mean, I really hate that your life has been threatened, Gibbs, but I think a protection detail is more than unnecessary."

"This isn't a random threat, Abbs. It's serious. Until the person responsible is caught, I don't want any of you alone."

"But Gibbs-"

"No buts. I mean it."

She shook her head. "This sucks."

"I know, but your safety is more important than your comfort."

Abby sighed. "Don't stick me with some creepy escort, Gibbs. I don't want the closet pedophile looking in my window as I change clothes at night."

"That won't happen."

"Please. Give them a background check or _something._"

"No, Abby, it won't happen because you already know them."

"Oh, God, Gibbs, don't tell me it's Henry. He looks at me with those huge eyes, and I feel like I'm on display. It's freaky-"

"-You'll be with McGee."

Tim jumped from his place leaning against his desk. "What?"

"Gibbs, that is _not_ going to work. I can't-"

"How are we supposed to-"

"Hey!"

Gibbs' exclamation silenced them both. "I know it isn't what you want, but get over it. It's for your own good."

He continued before Abby could vocalize the protest on her lips. "We'll all be pairing up. I don't want any of you alone. Tony'll be with me, and Ziva's going with Ducky. I'll be helping Fornell with the case, but I don't want anyone else involved, understood?"

He made do with the assorted less-than-enthusiastic nods. Then Ziva spoke up.

"Who is it, Gibbs?"

He sighed. "He was someone Mike and I tried to catch years ago. He said he'd come back, but I didn't expect it now."

"So," Tony inquired, "how long is this gonna last?"

"However long it takes."

The room was filled with groans. "Not even an estimate?"

"Nope. Go home, pack a bag, and go somewhere. It doesn't matter where, but you can't stay in D.C.."

The group dispersed. As Tim took a moment to gather some things from his desk, Abby approached him.

"So, where are we gonna go?" she asked, downcast.

"Uh, good question," he replied. "Maybe to one of our families' houses."

"Maybe." She sounded uninterested.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well, I don't know, McGee. I never really considered what I would do in protective custody with my best friend, banished from the city I live in."

He sighed. "Abby, I don't like this any more than you do, but I'm doing the best I can."

"…Fine." She relented a bit. "Where does your family live?"

"My mom's in Indiana, and Penny's here in D.C.. Sarah's in grad school at Waverly."

"What about your dad?"

He gave a humorless laugh. "We're not going to my dad's."

"And I'm not going to Indiana."

"What's wrong with Indiana?"

"I've had bad experiences with Indiana."

Tim sighed again. "My God, Abby."

"You know what this means."

He looked up. There was a mischievous glint in her eye, and her earlier reservations seemed long forgotten.

"What?" He dreaded the answer.

"It means that you and I," she said slowly, "are going to Louisiana."

He groaned inwardly. It wasn't going to be a fun assignment.

XXX

A/N: What did you think? Tell me when you review, please :) In case you didn't know, Abby is from New Orleans (as is Pauley Perette), hence them going to Louisiana :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long! To be honest, I almost forgot about this one. Almost. I finally finished this chapter that's been halfway done for months, so here it is. Not really a filler chapter, but not especially important... Not great, either, but it's what I've got right now. I hope at least someone will be able to gain some amount of entertainment from this, although it doesn't seem likely.

A couple of notes: Yes, it's short. I'm sorry. And: I hadn't really given much thought to the time frame, but when I started this, the events of Till Death Do Us Part hadn't happened yet, so... I guess pretend that that episode didn't happen in relation to this story.

XXX

Tim shifted in his seat, resisting the urge to turn up the radio when a song he liked came on. Abby had been sleeping for about three hours now; he knew he'd need directions soon, but for now, he decided to let her sleep. On the dashboard, his cell phone vibrated. He quickly retrieved it and checked caller ID.

"Hey, boss," he whispered into the speaker.

"_Abby asleep?"_

"Yeah. What's up?"

"_Just checking in, and telling you to call me when you get there."_

"Yes, boss."

_"McGee, when you get there, that'll be the last phone call. Other than emergencies, I won't contact you until it's time to come home."_

"That could be months."

_"I know. You can take care of yourselves, though."_

"She'll want to talk to you."

_"Put your foot down, McGee. You know how to say no."_

"Yes, boss."

"_And Tim?"_

"Yeah?"

_"Be careful out there."_

Tim smiled. "Thanks."

He flipped the phone closed and set it back on the dash. In the passenger seat, Abby began to stir.

"Mmm…" She squinted. "Where are we?"

"I-10."

"Tim, I hate to ask this, but-"

"We'll stop at the next exit."

She smiled. "Thanks."

As he pulled off the highway, she yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her onto the dashboard. "So who was that on the phone?"

"Gibbs."

"Ah, the Bossman. What's up?"

"He wants us to call as soon as we get there."

"As expected."

"Abby." Tim glanced over at her momentarily, not allowing his eyes to stray from the road for long. "That'll be the last call."

"What do you mean by that?"

"No more contact with anyone from home after that, especially Gibbs, save emergencies. We're supposed to keep a low profile."

Abby sighed, not bothering to disguise her annoyance. "This really sucks."

"I know."

She ran her fingers through her hair as he pulled into the nearest gas station. "How far out are we?"

"I'm not sure exactly, because I don't know where the house is, but probably about an hour. We aren't too far from the Mississippi-Louisiana border."

"Alright." She pulled her hair into a couple of messy pigtails, rolling her neck around on her shoulders. They both exited the car.

She smiled at him and leaned on the hood of the car as he approached the gas pump. Her mood seemed to have lightened considerably in the past few minutes.

"Do you need anything while we're inside?"

"I don't think so, but thanks."

She shrugged and headed inside. He checked the time.

_Brrrring._

The caller ID was blocked. He answered cautiously.

"Hello?"

_"Hey, McGoo. How's the big city?"_

"We aren't there yet. Tony, I just got a call from Gibbs, and he said-"

_"I know what he said, McGee." There was a short pause. "I just know I won't see you guys for a while, and I wanted to tell you good luck."_

"Thanks, Tony. That's really nice of you."

_"Sure."_

"So you guys are still in D.C.?"

_"Yeah. We don't get a vacation often, so enjoy it now."_

"You consider this a vacation?"

_"Don't criticize my train of thought."_

"I wasn't planning on it until you brought it up."

_"Don't test me, McSmartyPants."_

"What have you been doing to me for the past nine years?"

_"Can I talk to Abby?"_

"Avoiding the question, Tony?"

_"Yes. Where is she?"_

"We're at a gas station right now, and she's inside, but-"

As he spoke, the forensic scientist in question exited the attached convenient store. Tim reconditioned his former statement.

"Wait, here she comes."

_"Okay. Oh, and Tim?"_

"Yeah, Tony?"

_"See you later."_

"Bye, Tony."

With that, he transferred the phone to the waiting Goth, who answered happily. He busied himself with removing the gas pump and paying for the fuel. When he turned around, Abby tossed him something.

"Nutter Butters?"

"Yep. I thought you might be hungry." She smiled.

"Thanks, Abbs." He was surprised by how quickly her mood had lifted. "You seem like you're feeling better," he commented as he climbed into the vehicle.

"I'm just really excited. I haven't seen Luca since Christmas."

She noticed his apprehensive expression. "What's wrong, Tim?"

"I'm a little nervous. I feel like I'll be intruding."

"Oh, trust me, you're not intruding. Luca wants to meet you."

"Why is that?"

Tim didn't miss the mischievous glint in her eye as she casually said, "He's heard you're easy to prank, and he's been looking for some fresh guinea pigs."

Tim couldn't help but shake his head. He'd be very surprised if he got out of this unscathed.

XXX

A/N: Yep. I'm sorry for that piece of crap.

Quick question: AM I THE ONLY ONE FREAKING OUT ABOUT MCGEE? _Because I'm actually losing sleep over that finale._


End file.
